Doctor Visits Dropping, New Census Figures Show

[uppityperson]

21. The system is broken. Less income, higher costs, coupled with inability for docs to be able to do

good medicine anymore.

In more depth:
People have less income available, in general. Copays cost more if you have insurance, and deductibles are higher. If you don't have insurance costs are rising even if you get on a sliding fee scale thing, if you know to ask aboutit.

Providers are less and less able to provide good health care anymore due to increasing costs for them and increasing pressure to shove patients through as fast as possible and then even faster. Many clinics have been bought out by larger groups who dictate the amount of time to be spent on any 1 visit. And seldom do people come in for only 1 thing, or other things come up during the visit (for which they are told to make another appointment). Providers in general are making less and being pushed to do more which makes them quite unhappy.

Outcome is people go to in sicker and take more time. Which costs them more, takes more time, etc etc etc.

Of course there are the CYA tests that are pushed for also. But I see the trouble being it costs more and they don't have the time.